F-35 does air shows but no combat after IOC?

via Stars and Stripes.

The F-35 Lightning II made a first-ever debut Friday at the Vectren Dayton Air Show.
Air Force Lt. Col. Brad “Pedro” Bashore, a Tipp City native, was one of three Ohio pilots to accompany two of the Air Force’s newest fighter jets to Dayton International Airport for the air show Saturday and Sunday.
“For us, it’s special because it’s a next generation fighter,” said Bashore, commander of the 58th Fighter Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. “It’s going to be around for a long time. And some day when we’re old and retired on the golf course our kids are going to be potentially flying this and they’ll be protecting us while (they’re) doing it.”
While at the Dayton Air Show, the two F-35As will be on ground display but won’t fly a demonstration.

And then this from the same article.

Lockheed Martin spokesman Michael J. Rein said the jet was declared combat ready by the Marines and is on its way to initial operating capability with the Air Force this year. Prior to 2010, the program was 20 percent over budget, the company spokesman said. But since then the program was “rebase lined” and it has hit program milestones, stayed on schedule, and on budget while the cost of the jet has dropped.
The Government Accountability Office, a watchdog agency, released findings this year that said while program costs had dropped since 2014, it “continues to face significant affordability challenges.” It also noted the program had 20 percent of development testing remaining, including complex software, “which will be challenging.”

Ignore the silliness from the Lockheed spokesman about the budget, schedule and costs.

He's a professional liar and apparently that is seen as something positive in the world we now live in.  He'll pull up charts and graphs that have been manipulated to support his position but it will be useful complexity to cover up their failure.

What you need to pay attention to is how he's hiding behind the USMC declaring Initial Operational Capability with the F-35.

That is a lie of the highest order that was pushed by the then Commandant of the Marine Corps (now Chairman of the Joint Chiefs) at the behest of the Deputy Commandant for Aviation, Lockheed Martin (and their shareholders) along with the USAF and various govts around the world.

This is the DoD's definition of IOC.

In general, attained when selected units and/or organizations in the force structure scheduled to receive a new system have received it and have the ability to employ and maintain it. The specifics for any particular system IOC are defined in that system’s Capability Development Document (CDD) and Capability Production Document (CPD).

The next question is what is CDD.  From the same website.

A CDD (includes the Information System (IS) CDD variant) specifies capability requirements in terms of developmental Key Performance Parameters (KPPs), Key System Attributes (KSAs), Additional Performance Attributes (APAs), and other related information necessary to support development of one or more increments of a materiel capability solution. A sponsor approved draft CDD is necessary for a Milestone A acquisition decision and each RFP release in support of the Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction (TMRR) phase of the Defense Acquisition System. A validated CDD is also necessary for each Development Request for Proposal (RFP) Release Decision Point and Milestone B acquisition decision. The CDD format is in the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS) Manual, which is available online.

Ok.  How about CPD?

Specifies capability requirements in terms of production Key Performance Parameters (KPPs), Key System Attributes (KSAs), Additional Performance Attributes (APAs), and other related information necessary to support production of a single increment of a materiel capability solution. A validated CPD is necessary for each Milestone C acquisition decision. To ensure that the production activities meet validated requirements in cases where the milestone decision authority (MDA) waives Milestone C, a CPD must be validated prior to either the low-rate initial production (LRIP) decision or the full rate production decision in cases where LRIP is not applicable. The CPD format is in the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS) Manual, which is available online.

Anyway you slice it, we're seeing criminality.  Marine Corps leadership has declared that the F-35 is combat capable but isn't sending the plane to war...they're not even deploying it.

Unfortunately the defense media is ignoring this and instead is pumping the story of the F-35 going to air shows.

We all sat back and watched while we were being lied to.  We're going to do the same when the USAF plays the same game with their declaration of the F-35 being combat capable this fall.

Congratulations tribe.  You're witnessing the biggest defense scandal in the history of the US military.

Sidenote:  Thanks to Jagigen for the vid.  This is a pathetic air show display for an airplane that has been in development for over 10 years.  You could see more vigorous maneuvers from a Cessna!